Waterfall on Q for a warm but moist gloom at CHOP.
We warmed up with the usual: Side Strattle Hop, Cherry Picker, Moroccan Night Club, Seal Jack.
The Thang: Overhead carry the blocks to the tooth pulling place. Pair up for block work. 100 squats, 100 LBCs, 100 presses, all with the blocks. Done as a team. While one partner does the exercises the other lunges across the parking lot and mosey back. We stopped when a neighbor opened the window and yelled at us.
Carried our blocks back to the AO to finish. Then we mixed things up. One partner side steps across the parking lot while the other does the UPS. Each partner does the parking lot twice. Then partner mosey across the parking lot and nur back while the other partner holds the block in Al Gore position. Each partner does the parking lot twice.
F3 Message. Don’t let your New Year’s resolutions just be wishful thinking. 1. “Budget” your plans. Know what it is going to take and how you are going to get there. 2. You need “councilors.” Tell your M and your friends about your plans. 3. “Commit to the Lord.” Make sure your plans are consistent with God’s will for your life.
Finished up with some Mary.
Count-a-rama Name-a-rama
New FNG is named “Beeker.” He is a science teacher. Welcome Beeker!!
20 Crab flippers IC (see what I did there?? 2020 AYE!!)
Bolt 45 (uggg)
20 windmills
20 smurf Jacks (double uggg)
The Thang
We stayed at the basketball courts for the first part of our beatdown and did the Webiside routine. A standard suicide but instead of touching each line the pax does an increasing number of merkins at each line. Run to the first line, do one merkin, run back to start, run to next line, do two merkins, and so on until you get to 10. A running form of the Jack Webb
Moseyed over to the baseball diamond where we started the field of dreams routine Start out by counting off by fours. 1s start at First Base AMRAP Squats until relieved. 2s at Second Base do AMRAP Mercans until relieved. 3s at Third Base do AMRAP LBC’s until relieved. 4s at Home Plate will perform 15 Burpees then run to First, relieving the Pax there. Continue until all Pax have done the Burpees.
Insert first part of F3 Message here: Q Gump read the final speech from the movie courageous details will be at the end of the Backblast.
Continued the field of dreams routine this time we swapped the exercises to all mary exercises. Home plate still did 15 Burpees, 1st base did sets of 2 BBSU and 10 overhead presses AMRAP, 2nd base did American hammers, and 3rd base did flutterkicks
Started the Bear Crawl Ring of fire: PAX lined up and bear crawled around the baseball diamond upon Q’s “halt” the first person in line did 10 merkins, while everyone else planked, than “crawl” everyone crawled until again the Q “halted” then the next HIM would do 10 merkins while everyone planked and than “crawl” rinse and repeatuntil everyone in line did 10 merkins.
2nd 3rd F message inserted here where QIC Gump read “The Resolution” (Image at end of BB)
Everyone gave quatro a Big High five after this one during the last Bear Crawl ring of fire quatro accidentally said the words “Crawl bear” so the next exercize was inspired by quatro. During this exercise we started the “Crawl Bear ring of fire” it was just as fun as bear crawl ring of fire except it super sucked. as you can imagine we craw bear’d around the baseball diamond and on the “halt” command everyone planked while 1 HIM did merkins than “crawl” and everyone crawled until “halt” than the next HIM took his turn doing 10 merkins while everyone else planked rinse and repeat until everyone did 10 merkins. and we had to crawl bear home.
Wosied back to the basketball diamond where we ran 3 sets of suicides , ran to foul shot line touched line, back to basketball hoop, half court and back, opposite foul shot line and back, and opposite out of bounds line and back, opposite foul shot line and back, half court and back, foul shot line and back was 1 round with 10 count in between each set.
20 All i/c Seal jack Plank jack Windmill Ssh Seal wave Cherry picker
THANG
Mosey to intersection of front str. and walnut str.
10 mike Tyson’s Nur to top of hill
Mosey to playground behind Milford church of God
3rd F
“Overcomer” What defines who you are? Your job? Your spouse, your partner, your accomplishments? Does your sense of well-being and satisfaction come from dependence on your position or friends or appearance or skills? What would you do if all that were taken away? “Cross country is a very difficult sport. From the time you start, you do not stop or pause until you cross the finish line. And in many regards, that’s like our life; that’s our journey of faith.” “Being an overcomer means there is pain, discomfort, inconvenience, life’s tough, and yet you have joy and peace and all the stuff that you can only have if there is an anchor in your soul.” “Being an overcomer means you keep your head up and you know that you’re going to get through it; you figure out a way to get through it, you keep your faith strong, you get through it, and you just thank God.”
3 rounds of 15 Swerkins Hanging knee raises big boys
Mosey back to library
Side plank for 20 count each side
5 HIM showed today; semi, Chappie, Ruxpin, Waterfall, papa bear
Bolt 42’s IC (4 Count) – 14 squats to halfway down. 14 squats halfway to full down. 14 full squats.
Cherry Pickers – 14 IC
The Thang
Explanation of the directive God gave Joshua in regard to the wall of Jericho and the importance He placed on the number seven(7). PAX conquered Jericho on this gloom in F3 fashion thanks to a phone call from Quattro planting a seed for a beatdown and quoting the verses from Joshua 6:4-5, 20-21 (NKJV). Round #1 – Karaoke around the circle switching directions at halfway and complete 7 hand release merkins. Round #2 – Nur around the circle and complete 21 LBC’s. Round #3 – side shuffle around the circle switching directions halfway and complete Aiken legs – 7 squats, 7 box jumps, 7 lunges (7 each leg), 7 split jacks (7 each leg). Round # 4 – high knees around the circle and complete ATM’s – 7 alternating “merkin” shoulder taps (Thanks Chappie), 7 tempo merkins, and 7 fast merkins. Round #5 – Lieutenant Dan around the circle and complete four count mountain climbers. Round #6 – Toy soldier march around the circle and complete a set of 7’s. 1 big boy, 1 merkin, 2 big boys, 2 merkins ascending up to 7 big boys, 7 merkins. Round #7 – mosey around the circle 7 times and complete ascending Burp & Merk’s up to 7 merkins at the bottom of each burpee. The twist for the entire beatdown is that we are going to repeat each of the previous exercises before starting the next lap around the circle.
Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust. Please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers.
F3 Message 12/21/19
The parable here this morning is that the Satanic group is trying to fortify or maintain a wall right here in Sussex County that will serve to block opportunities for the salvation of souls through the love of Christ Jesus. It is our duty as men of God to make sure those walls are reduced to rubble through our prayers, our witness, our testimonies, so that every child of God has the opportunity to choose a relationship with our Savior and not be held captive to any stronghold that the enemy may present. Faith in God can overcome and tear down any walls that Satan attempts to use to block the path that ultimately leads to the place that is already prepared for us in heaven. A place that was already bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ. Listen for that still small voice or for that blaring trumpet, but always be ready when the Lord asks you to step out of your comfort zone. Somebody’s life may count on it, maybe your own…
Question: “What should we learn from the walls of Jericho falling down?”
Answer: The story of the walls of Jericho falling down, recorded in Joshua 6:1–27, is one that vividly demonstrates the miraculous power of God. But more than that, the utter destruction of Jericho teaches us several grand truths regarding God’s grace and our salvation.
The people of Israel had just crossed over the Jordan River into the land of Canaan (Joshua 3:14–17). This was the land of milk and honey God had promised to Abraham over 500 years earlier (Deuteronomy 6:3, 32:49). After spending forty difficult years wandering in the desert of Sinai, the people of Israel were now on the eastern banks of the Jordan. Their challenge: take the land of Canaan, the Promised Land. However, their first obstacle was the city of Jericho (Joshua 6:1), an unconquerable, walled city. Excavations there reveal that its fortifications featured a stone wall 11 feet high and 14 feet wide. At its top was a smooth stone slope, angling upward at 35 degrees for 35 feet, where it joined massive stone walls that towered even higher. It was virtually impregnable.
In ancient warfare such cities were either taken by assault or surrounded and the people starved into submission. Its invaders might try to weaken the stone walls with fire or by tunneling, or they might simply heap up a mountain of earth to serve as a ramp. Each of these methods of assault took weeks or months, and the attacking force usually suffered heavy losses. However, the strategy to conquer the city of Jericho was unique in two ways. First, the strategy was laid out by God Himself, and, second, the strategy was a seemingly foolish plan. God simply told Joshua to have the people to march silently around Jericho for six days, and then, after seven circuits on the seventh day, to shout.
Though it seemed foolish, Joshua followed God’s instructions to the letter. When the people did finally shout, the massive walls collapsed instantly, and Israel won an easy victory. In fact, God had given the city of Jericho to them before they even began to march around its walls (Joshua 6:2, 16). It was when the people of God, by faith, followed the commands of God that the walls of Jericho fell down (Joshua 6:20).
The apostle Paul assures us, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4). The description of the complete obliteration of Jericho was recorded in Scripture in order to teach us several lessons. Most important is that obedience, even when God’s commands seem foolish, brings victory. When we are faced with seemingly insurmountable odds, we must learn that our Jericho victories are won only when our faithful obedience to God is complete (Hebrews 5:9; 1 John 2:3; 5:3).
There are other key lessons we should learn from this story. First, there is a vast difference between God’s way and the way of man (Isaiah 55:8–9). Though militarily it was irrational to assault Jericho in the manner it was done, we must never question God’s purpose or instructions. We must have faith that God is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do (Hebrews 10:23; 11:1).
Second, the power of God is supernatural, beyond our comprehension (Psalm 18:13–15; Daniel 4:35; Job 38:4–6). The walls of Jericho fell, and they fell instantly. The walls collapsed by the sheer power of God.
Third, there is an uncompromising relationship between the grace of God and our faith and obedience to Him. Scripture says, “By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days” (Hebrews 11:30). Although their faith had frequently failed in the past, in this instance the children of Israel believed and trusted God and His promises. As they were saved by faith, so we are today saved by faith (Romans 5:1; John 3:16–18). Yet faith must be evidenced by obedience. The children of Israel had faith, they obeyed, and the walls of Jericho fell “by faith” after they were circled for seven straight days. Saving faith impels us to obey God (Matthew 7:24–29; Hebrews 5:8–9; 1 John 2:3–5).
In addition, the story tells us that God keeps His promises (Joshua 6:2, 20). The walls of Jericho fell because God said they would. God’s promises to us today are just as certain. They are just as unswerving. They are exceedingly great and wonderfully precious (Hebrews 6:11–18; 10:36; Colossians 3:24).
Finally, we should learn that faith without works is dead (James 2:26). It is not enough to say, “I believe God,” and then live in an ungodly manner. If we truly believe God, our desire is to obey God. Our faith is put to work. We make every effort to do exactly what God says and keep His commandments. Joshua and the Israelites carried out the commands of God and conquered Jericho. God gave them victory over an enemy that was trying to keep them out of the Promised Land. So it is with us today: if we have true faith, we are compelled to obey God, and God gives us victory over the enemies that we face throughout life. Obedience is the clear evidence of faith. Our faith is the evidence to others that we truly believe in Him. We can conquer and be victorious through life by faith, a faith that obeys the God who gives us that faith as a free gift (Ephesians 2:8–9).
Joshua 6 New International Version (NIV)
6 Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.
2 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. 3 March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. 4 Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. 5 When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.”
6 So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant of the Lord and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it.” 7 And he ordered the army, “Advance! March around the city, with an armed guard going ahead of the ark of the Lord.”
8 When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets before the Lord went forward, blowing their trumpets, and the ark of the Lord’s covenant followed them. 9 The armed guard marched ahead of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard followed the ark. All this time the trumpets were sounding. 10 But Joshua had commanded the army, “Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!” 11 So he had the ark of the Lord carried around the city, circling it once. Then the army returned to camp and spent the night there.
12 Joshua got up early the next morning and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. 13 The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets went forward, marching before the ark of the Lord and blowing the trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets kept sounding. 14 So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.
15 On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times. 16 The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city! 17 The city and all that is in it are to be devoted[a] to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent. 18 But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. 19 All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury.”
20 When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city. 21 They devoted the city to the Lord and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys.
22 Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her.” 23 So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother, her brothers and sisters and all who belonged to her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel.
24 Then they burned the whole city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the Lord’s house. 25 But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho—and she lives among the Israelites to this day.
26 At that time Joshua pronounced this solemn oath: “Cursed before the Lord is the one who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho:
“At the cost of his firstborn son he will lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest he will set up its gates.”
27 So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.
13 HIM beat the fartsack and posted at the CHOP on this nice brisk morning for a little 4X4 action around the block 4 corners 4 exercises per corner. Transition between corners varies. Oh and Chappie made it back from picking up his 2.0 just in time for the name-o-rama and COT.
Warm-up- 25 SSH + 10 more just because, 20 Windmills, 20 Mountain Climbers, 20 Cherry Pickers, 20 MNC.
Lt. Dan to first light pole mosey to shipbuilders.
30 LBCs OYO, 25 Flutterkicks IC, 20 Freddie mercuries IC, 15 big boys OYO.
Bear crawl down mulberry street to first light pole mosey to Drs office.
20 Imperial walkers IC. 20 Squats, 20 lunges 10 each leg, 20 monkey jumpers. I believe some pax performed a few extra monkey humpers to entertain a lone car going by and some how we ended up with 10 bombjacks at this stop.
Mosey on to final corner at union street.
20 American hammers, 20 mountain climbers, 20 splitjacks and everones favorite gift was 10 hand release burppes.
Mosey back to CHOP for a stop at the wall.
Wall sit with 10 overhead clamps
Balls to wall 10 Australian mountain climbers IC.
Wall sit with 15 overhead hand claps
After all that Christmas eve fun we still had time for a few minutes of Mary which indo not recall what exactly consisted of.
Finished up with Number-rama
Name-o-rama along with giving our FNG his F3 nickname welcome Phyfe and ending with the COT.
Twenty-three degrees at O-Gawd-Thirty? No problem! F3 HIM are principled men, and 4 of them upheld the F3 principle “always outdoors rain or shine, hot or COLD” at The Grit Mill in Milford this Gloom. Rumor has it a dirty dozen posted in Milton at the CHOP–that makes 16 on the day who are principled men.
Here’s how it all went down, rather, up and down, and up and down, at the Grit Mill:
WARM-O-RAMA:
SSH– 20 IC
Imperial Walker – 18 IC
CrabFlipper – 20 IC (Variant: Left, Middle, & Right flippers)
Tempo Merkin – 18 IC
SwartzJacks – 18 IC
ArmCircles – 10 forward, 10 backward OYO
Calf Raises – 30 OYO
THE THANG:
Mosey all the way around the library to steps on back parking lot side. Figured to be a good place to start since a little extra clatter in the lot might ‘rouse Chilly from his sleep to what’s the matter. It didn’t work, but here’s what did:
Back Lot 2-Story Steps:
PAX Planked, while in turn each ran to the top and back down, swapping out with next PAX in plank line. 4 rounds
PAX did Plank Jacks, while in turn each ran to the top and back down, swapping out with next PAX in Mountain Climber line. 4 rounds
Mosey to front library steps
Front Library Steps:
PAX in line did Low Slow Squats, while in turn each ran to top on left steps, back down middle steps, back to top on right steps, and back down the middle steps to swap out with next PAX in line. 4 rounds
Mosey to side, lower entry steps
SideLower Entry Steps:
PAX rotated from BTTW, to running up, then back down the steps to swap out with next PAX. 4 rounds, on final round the PAX added the side steps for extra credit
Then PAX rotated from standing High Knees, to running up, then back down both main steps and side steps, 4 rounds
YHC Shared the following 3rdF to get PAX thinking about the amazing part of Christmas–the INCARNATION–the fact that God became man for our salvation:
In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld His glory. This is John’s version of the Christmas narrative. While it is not really a narrative, it does tell us about the most incredible truth ever told. God the Son, who was eternal God Himself, put on flesh and dwelt among us. Another word for this is: I-N-C-A-R-N-A-T-I-O-N
The Bible is literally 66 books, ranging from Genesis to Revelation. Forty different writers authored it’s books, over a period of 1500 years. Despite all of this, a consistent, complete message unfolds across its pages.
It’s easy to forget the Bible predates the printing press by over a thousand years. It was laboriously written on papyrus. Very few owned the manuscripts, usually only religious officials. Over centuries, the Jews nurtured and preserved the writings, carefully recording each letter and punctuation mark — In fact, if a letter or a syllable was wrong, the copying had to start over! The early Christians continued the practice of precision, passing the written Word along carefully from generation to generation.
WHY WAS THE BIBLE WRITTEN? Think about this relate-able picture: Late on Christmas Eve, a frustrated father sits on the floor. Stray parts of a new toy litter the room. His wife surveys the mess, and says, “When all else fails, read the instructions.”
Maybe you’re the type who typically skips the manual. Most of us definitely don’t like to stop and ask for directions either. But think further about this: God knew we would frequently need to “read the instructions” — perhaps before we even find ourselves in a mess!
THREE PURPOSES FOR THE BIBLE:
1) For an infinite God to reveal Himself to a finite people
2) To reveal to people how to live. In Deuteronomy 4:1 God said, “Hear my Word and follow my decrees and statutes that you may LIVE….”
3) To reveal how God interacts with people through history
Roman’s 15:4 says, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have HOPE.”
This Christmas season, would you commit to taking the time to read the first few chapters of the Gospel of Matthew or the Gospel of Luke? (The Christmas narratives of the birth of our Savior.) Read the instruction manual and share it with your family to see just what it says about Christmas and the hope it brings to us in Christ. Merry Christmas!
At this point PAX mosey’d all the way around the building and returned to the Back Lot 2-Story Steps:
PAX in line did Mountain Climber, while in turn each ran to the top and back down, swapping out with next PAX in Mountain Climber line. 4 rounds
PAX in line did Seal Jacks, while in turn each ran to the top and back down, swapping out with next PAX in line. 4 rounds
Time called. Mosey back [just] around the corner to AO starting point for…
NUMBER-RAMA: One! Two! Three! And YHC’s golf game, Four!
COT/BOM:
Announcements: YHC shared briefly about the potential/goal for F3 First State to take on official Region Status. It’s within reach and leadership (Nantan, Site-Q’s, & Comz, etc.) will have further discussion on this. It’s a great year to do so, since the year to come is all about 2020. So, let’s work together soon to get some 20/20 on Region status in 2020. More to come…
Prayers: Prayers lifted for several: Aaron (YHC’s nephew deployed), homeless family (ministered to by Gump), April & Faith and their family members (Waterfall’s extended family)
What a brisk morning it was! Lots of leg smoke, but a leg-day never hurts. Well, actually, it does! But that’s the point. Check? Check!
Always honored to lead the men in Milford at our newest AO, The Grit Mill. get the word out in and around Milford, men. Own the mission to plant, grow, and serve small workout groups of men for the invigoration of male community leadership! Even if you don’t regularly post there, if you’d like to Q it, contact Site-Q Ruxpin. The place is a workout goldmine. YHC knows one thing for certain…there are plenty of steps. And we didn’t even leave the AO!
12 men braved the 16 degrees for a 12 days of Christmas beatdown. MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Warm up – IC
SSH- 15
Arm circles – 15 fwd. 15 back.
Squats – 15
Cherry picker- 15
Imperial Walker- 15
The Thang-
Mosey around block and come back to CHOP. ParkingLot
For 12 days of Christmas …(do in format of the timeless classic Christmas song )
1- side shuffles from pole to pole and mosey back to start for 1-6 , lt Dan back for 7-12..
2- burpees 1
3- hand release merkins 2,1
4- side straddle hop IC 3, 2,1
5- tricep dips- 4,3,2,1
6- mountain climbers ….5,4,3,2,1
Break for 3rd F
7- American hammers ….
8- good form merkins …
9- little baby crunches ….
10- alternating lunges ….
11- big boy sit ups ….
12- deep squats …
A little surprise for round 12….. we finished with 12 of EACH exercise
Name A Rama
COT
3rd F-
Duty Is Yours, Results Are God’s
By Jason Benham, Jul 10, 2019
John Quincy Adams once said, after losing case after case after case in a seemingly hopeless cause to set the slaves free, “Duty is mine, results are God’s.”
This sums up what every person should believe concerning the thing God wants them to do. We can’t focus on results, otherwise we’ll deal at the level of the mind and not the heart – we’ll try to figure out how to make the thing happen, when God wants us to just put our faith in Him and trust Him with our hearts.
A statement from the Apostle Paul in Acts 20:22 echoes this – “And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there….”
Check this out:
“And now I am on my way to building this business, not knowing how it’s going to turn out.”
“And now I am going to have another baby, not knowing how I’m going to feed her.”
“And now I am going to tell the truth, not knowing if it’s going to cost my job.”
“And now I am going to expose the lie, not knowing what’s going to happen to my reputation.”
“And now I am going to stand and fight, not knowing if I will win or lose.”
See how this works – all we have to do is our duty, the one given to us by God. Let Him handle the rest. He’ll take care of the results.
When you keep your focus on God you will continue to operate at the level of the heart, which is where faith is found. You can trust Him, you don’t ever have to worry about the results.
Complete in descending order from 11- each of the following: Dips, Squats, Merkins, and Big Boys. After each set mosey around the middle circle of the parking lot. 10, 9, 8, 7… you get the idea.
The Thang – 12 Days of Christmas or Doce dias de Navidad to keep with the “Quattro” theme…..:)…. Exercise set courtesy of Quattro’s M….
Each exercise was completed and repeated in descending order just as the Twelve days of Christmas Song would be sung. You get the idea. After reaching the eighth exercise, we took a break for the third F provided by Quattro….see F3 Message below…. Once the beatdown resumed, we jumped to the twelfth exercise and worked our way down to #1 after-which we jogged our block back to the pile.
1– 30 sec Plank with a run around the Church before adding the next exercise on the list of twelve.
2 – 4 count Mountain Climbers
3 – Overhead block presses
4 – Glute Bridges
5 – Burpees
6 – Donkey kicks
7 – Split jacks
8 – 4 count SSH
9 – Curtsy lunges
10 – Block swings
11 – Full motion squats
12 – Block dead-lifts
Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust. Prayers were offered for multiple needs within the attending PAX, but please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers.
F3 Message – Quattro
Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust. Prayers were offered for multiple needs within the attending PAX, but please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers.
The Twelve Days of Christmas – True Meaning Behind the Lyrics
Ace Collins – from crosswalk.com
To many people, the lyrics of the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” seem strange beyond belief. The odd carol’s words might make one think it is a novelty song, in the vein of “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” or “My Favorite Things.” Though a host of modern internet sites and some magazine articles have tried to reduce “The Twelve Days of Christmas” to a little more than a silly Christmas carol, most scholars of the Catholic Church deem it a very important surviving example of a time when that denomination used codes to disguise their teachings. Originally a poem written by Catholic clerics, this song was transformed into a carol at a time when celebrating the twelve days of Christmas was one of the most important holiday customs. By understanding the meaning the clerics chose the twelve days as wrapping for their poem, the full impact of the tradition of the twelve days of Christmas can be understood.
The 12 Days of Christmas – True Meaning
On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . a partridge in a pear tree.
The partridge in a pear tree represents Jesus, the Son of God, whose birthday we celebrate on the first day of Christmas. Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge, the only bird that will die to protect its young.
On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . two turtledoves.
These twin birds represent the Old and New Testaments. So in this gift, the singer finds the complete story of Judeo-Christian faith and God’s plan for the world. The doves are the biblical roadmap that is available to everyone.
On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . three French hens.
These birds represent faith, hope, and love. This gift hearkens back to 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter written by the apostle Paul.
On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . four calling birds.
One of the easiest facets of the song’s code to figure out, these fowl are the four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . five gold rings.
The gift of the rings represents the first five books of the Old Testament, known as the Torah or the Pentateuch.
On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . six geese a-laying.
These lyrics can be traced back to the first story found in the Bible. Each egg is a day in creation, a time when the world was “hatched” or formed by God.
On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . seven swans a-swimming.
It would take someone quite familiar with the Bible to identify this gift. Hidden in the code are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, and compassion. As swans are one of the most beautiful and graceful creatures on earth, they would seem to be a perfect symbol for the spiritual gifts.
On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . eight maids a-milking.
As Christ came to save even the lowest of the low, this gift represents the ones who would receive his word and accept his grace. Being a milkmaid was about the worst job one could have in England during this period; this code conveyed that Jesus cared as much about servants as he did those of royal blood. The eight who were blessed included the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.
On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . nine ladies dancing.
These nine dancers were really the gifts known as the fruit of the Spirit. The fruits are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . ten lords a-leaping.
This is probably the easiest gift to understand. As lords were judges and in charge of the law, this code for the Ten Commandments was fairly straightforward to Catholics.
On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . eleven pipers piping.
This is almost a trick question, as most think of the disciples in terms of a dozen. But when Judas betrayed Jesus and committed suicide, there were only eleven men who carried out the gospel message.
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . twelve drummers drumming.
The final gift is tied directly to the Catholic Church. The drummers are the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostles’ Creed. “I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.”
The Context & History Behind “The 12 Days of Christmas”
Teaching the Catholic faith was outlawed in sixteenth-century England. Those who instructed their children in Catholicism could be drawn and quartered. Thus, the church went underground. To hide the important and illegal elements of their teaching, clerics composed poems that seemed sill to most people. But these verses were veiled works that taught the church’s most important tenets. “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is said to be one of these teaching tools.
Most people today believe that the twelve days of Christmas start on December 12th or 13th and run through Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. But in fact, the first day of Christmas is December 25th and the final day is January 5th. Thus, for hundreds of years the Christmas holidays didn’t begin until Christmas Eve and didn’t end until Epiphany.
Why were these twelve days important? These dozen days were tied to more than just the teaching of the Catholic Church. A host of other denominations also celebrated the twelve days of Christmas. Some denominations celebrated Christmas in January and began to count the twelve days then. But whenever they began, the counting of the days became an important facet of each holiday season. Even in the Dark Ages, in some Eastern European churches, the twelve days of Christmas meant attending daily church services. For Christians who lived during this extremely difficult age, the twelve days were a time of rededication and renewal. It was also a period when small, simple, and usually symbolic gifts of faith were given to children. Thus, in both coded poems and public worship, the twelve days were considered a holy period.
For many Christians today, even the recognition of the twelve days of Christmas has been lost . . . for two reasons. The first is that when Epiphany lost out to Christmas as the day of giving gifts, many simply quit celebrating the twelve-day observance. The other reason is based more on the change in the fabric of culture than on overlooking the Christian holiday of Epiphany.
In ancient times, when most societies were rural, few people worked in the dead of winter. It was a time when many were spending long, dark days inside their homes, looking forward to winter’s chill giving way to the spring thaw. So devoting a dozen days to prayer, reflection, and attending church was not a huge undertaking. Yet with the coming of the Industrial Age and the regular year-round work schedules it brought, finding time to continue the activities that had been traditionally associated with the twelve days of Christmas became all but impossible for most people.
So the passing of the twelve-days custom probably had as much to do with “progress” as with anything else. As fewer and fewer churches and families participated in the tradition, it was all but lost. Yet in the obscure poem that was later turned into a popular carol, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” live on. And the twelve days described are actually a wonderful and complete picture of the Christian faith.
The “true love” mentioned in the song is not a sweetheart but the Catholic Church’s code for God. The person who receives the gifts represents anyone who has accepted Christ as the Son of God and as Savior. And each of the gifts portrays an important facet of the story of true faith.
So, just a silly song? On the surface maybe, but in reality, a refreshing reminder of the essential elements of Christian faith. The twelve days of Christmas may no longer be a widely recognized holiday tradition, but the days were an important bridge that connected persecuted believers of the past with the whole story of God’s plan. In the complicated world of today, a trip back to the not-so-distant past when Christians celebrated the twelve days of Christmas would only enhance the meaning of Christmas for everyone.
Ace Collins is the writer of more than sixty books, including several bestsellers: Stories behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas, Stories behind the Great Traditions of Christmas, The Cathedrals, and Lassie: A Dog’s Life. Based in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, he continues to publish several new titles each year. Ace has appeared on scores of television shows, including CBS This Morning, NBC Nightly News, CNN, Good Morning America, MSNBC, and Entertainment Tonight.
This article is part of our larger Christmas and Advent resource library centered around the events leading up to the birth of Jesus Christ. We hope these articles help you understand the meaning and story behind important Christian holidays and dates and encourage you as you take time to reflect on all that God has done for us through his son Jesus Christ!
20 Seal jacks. I/c 25 Cherry picker. I/c 15 smurf Jack’s. I/c Capri lap – nur length of court, side shuffle across, mosey, and side shuffle 20 Seal wave. I/c 25 Windmill I/c 20 Ssh. I/c
THE THANG
Mosey to pavilion across bridge
20 derkins BB 45 15 Upper big boy 15 Lower big boy 15 Full big boy 20 erkins 40 lbcs
Mosey to bathrooms near AO
3rd F Squats Toes out. 15 i/c Sumo style Feet 6″ apart 15 i/c Should width 15 I/c hold in squat on 15 count
35 reverse crunch Side plank for 15 count 35 flutter kick – double count Side plank for 15 count
Mosey back to AO
6 HIM showed – semi, Ruxpin, Chairman, Wildwing, leatherman, Gump
YHC Shared the following 3rdF to get PAX thinking about the amazing part of Christmas–the INCARNATION–the fact that God became man for our salvation:
